Mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE ! At last. *sigh* I finally got one for my birthday about 2 weeks ago, in the exact colour you see above, a deliciously retro shade of creamy duck egg blue, that KitchenAid calls "Ice".

I've been silently lusting after one eversince I saw it on Monica Geller's turquoise counter top, over a decade ago. Before that I'd been using either a Philips hand held mixer or a Kenwood Major, both purchased in the early to mid 80s. Eventually I stopped using both as the Major was too large for most of the home baking I did, while the Philips tended to overheat and give off an alarming smouldering smell after a few minutes use. For a while, I just used either a hand-held balloon whisk or my hands(still the best kitchen tool I know).

I was too thunderstruck to use my KitchenAid for the first 3 days. All I could do was look at her and sigh.I mean, come on! Look at her!! It's been 11 days since she arrived on my door step and I've since made 3 dozen buns, 4 large sweet potato loaves, 2 trays of muffins and 3 bundt cakes. Oh, those sweet potato loaves! I never had such volume, such a tender and airy crumb!

Now to answer the perennial question: which is better, Kenwood or KitchenAid?

The KitchenAid (5 Quart) Artisan (Model 5KSM150) is noticeably less powerful (300 W),though still more than sufficient for my kitchen needs, has a smaller capacity,is quieter, much heavier and doesn't scuttle around the counter top as much when mixing heavy doughs, and if I look at it too long, I forget to breathe. KitchenAids, except for the mixing bowl which is made in Korea (on my model anyway), are made and assembled in the US.

The Kenwood Major (Model A907D) is more powerful (450 W), has a larger capacity, is noisier, lighter and can scuttle off the counter during heavy mixing... and it doesn't make my heart flutter. My model, which was purchased in 1984 was completely made and assembled in the UK. I'm not sure where current models have been made or assembled. I've heard Kenwood has been bought over by Italians (DeLonghi?) and is now a multi-origin product.

Both have a "planetary mixing action" that mixes ingredients well enough so you needn't scrape down the sides of the bowl, or so say both KitchenAid and Kenwood.

My Kenwood is 25 years old and still kicks serious butt; it once got me through a 6-day baking blowout when I had to make 125 loaf cakes (don't ask), without either one of us breaking into a sweat. The Artisan is so beautiful, you wish KitchenAid made shoes, or lingerie...

I love both, and I still can't choose between the two and now, I don't have to.